The Court Calendar Shows a Jury-Selection Session

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York listed jury selection for Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern before Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The docket number is 1:22-cr-00109, United States v. Payton Gendron. The session was scheduled in the Niagara Courtroom at the federal courthouse in Buffalo.

That listing gives readers a firm court date. It does not tell us how many people were questioned, whether anyone was accepted or excused, or whether a final jury was seated that day. We have not independently confirmed the outcome of the November 12 session.

Why It Matters

Ten people were killed and three others were injured in the racist attack at Tops Friendly Market on May 14, 2022. The people who died were neighbors and family members with lives of their own. A careful court record should not reduce them to the defendant’s name or treat routine jury scheduling as a trial verdict.

The federal case may involve a possible death sentence. That makes the choice of jurors especially important. People considered for the jury must be able to evaluate the evidence fairly and follow the judge’s instructions about the law.

The State and Federal Cases Are Different

Gendron pleaded guilty to state charges stemming from the attack and is serving a state sentence of life imprisonment without parole. The federal prosecution is separate. It involves federal hate-crime and firearms counts, and the Justice Department is seeking the death penalty on eligible counts.

His state conviction does not mean a federal jury has returned a verdict. If the federal jurors convict him of death-eligible offenses, a later penalty phase would ask them to consider the punishment under federal law. The defense may present evidence against a death sentence.

What We Know About the Selection Process

Jury selection began October 13. Reporting during the first weeks described questions about prospective jurors’ experiences, their ability to be fair and their views on capital punishment. The judge said the court expected to select 12 jurors and six alternates. Those earlier reports help explain why the selection process is lengthy.

A November 10 Buffalo report said about 50 prospective jurors had qualified toward a larger pool. That is an attributed status report from earlier in the week, not a verified number for November 12. We will not carry it forward as though the count is unchanged.

What Happens Next

The district court’s rolling calendar also lists continued jury selection on Monday, November 16, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. The official schedule can change. Trial testimony should not be described as underway until a court or reliable courtroom report confirms that it has started.

We will look for the final jury list, any rulings that affect the questioning, and the first day on which the jury hears evidence. A new courtroom outcome will receive its own event date and sourced report.